THE Congo election results have seen the UK add its voice to a growing chorus of concern over their validity.

Félix Tshisekedi has been announced as the winner of presidential election in Congo (Image: AFP/GETTY)

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was “very concerned about discrepancies” in the presidential election results which unexpectedly handed power to Félix Tshisekedi. The UN security council is due to meet to discuss the situation with France and Belgium, the former colonial power, also expressing concerns after the result was challenged by an influential group of church leaders.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was “very concerned about discrepancies” in the result (Image: PA)

We want to do all that we can do to have the clean result

Martin Fayulu

At least four people, including two police officers, have died in violent clashes since Mr Tshisekedi was announced as the winner of the December 30 election yesterday.

DRC has never had a peaceful transfer of power via elections and Mr Tshisekedi’s win looked hollow after suggestions of a deal with the incumbent, Joseph Kabila, 47, to protect him from being investigated for corruption.

Martin Fayulu, 62, the candidate regarded as the clear winner by church election observers, said Mr Tshisekedi’s victory had “nothing to do with the truth of the ballot boxes” and has pledged to launch a formal fraud complaint in a dispute many fear could reawaken violence in a nation where millions have died in civil wars since the 1990s.

Riot police have been on the streets since the election result was announced (Image: AFP/GETTY)

Pre-election polls predicted a landslide win for opposition candidate Mr Fayulu in a vote hoped to bring Congo's first democratic transfer of power in six decades of coups, dictatorships, assassinations and conflicts since independence.

But in a surprise result the businessman, backed by powerful exiled politicians and ex militia leaders, lost out to Mr Tshisekedi, 55.

Mr Fayulu's supporters say authorities rigged the result on behalf of Mr Tshisekedi in a deal to protect members of President Joseph Kabila's outgoing administration and maintain his influence over security forces.

Defeated candiate Martin Fayulu has vowed to challenge the result (Image: AFP/GETTY)

Mr Fayulu told the BBC he would file a challenge at Congo's highest court.

He said: ”We know that the Constitutional Court is composed by Kabila's people, but we do not want to give any chance to Kabila and his team to say you didn't follow the law.